While we often celebrate the many international architects who have contributed to the East End’s built environment, and rightfully so, we rarely talk about the contributions that East End architects make outside our area. Their talents have not gone unnoticed by the larger world. However, increasingly, clients all over the U.S. are turning their sites to Eastern Long Islanders for creative and innovative designs. Here are a few projects worthy of broader attention.

The East End Design Awards received 70 submissions in 13 categories from 30 design firms, with projects from Westhampton to Montauk on the South Fork and from Riverhead to Orient on the North Fork. Each was judged by a fully independent panel of top design professionals. All three of the judging firms have won a National Design Award from the Cooper-Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum (recognition that, in the design world, has all the prestige of the Oscars). The editors of End did not have input on the judging.

Keeping houseplants alive can be a pain in the neck, especially if you’re one of those people who hops back and forth between the East End and who-knows-where. Here are some tips that will keep you from coming home to the sight of sadly wilted leaves — as well as some suggestions for specific plants that can withstand the lifestyle of a traveler.

Spurred on by a recent think-tank evening that called on citizens and designers to imagine ways to “Fix This Town!” the creative minds at MB Architecture came up with a few bold ideas to make the village, once again, a village that actually serves the needs of residents. Here, some specific proposals by the architects: Maziar Behrooz, Bruce Engel, Jeffrey Wong, and Chloe Liang.